Androgyne
A gender that is both masculine and feminine, or between the two.
Androgyne describes a gender that combines masculine and feminine, or sits between them. It is one of the oldest words in this vocabulary, in use well before nonbinary became the general term.
It refers to identity rather than appearance. Androgynous describes a look; androgyne describes a gender, and the two do not have to go together. An androgyne person may present entirely masculine or entirely feminine.
It is distinct from maverique, which is off the masculine–feminine axis entirely, and from agender, which is the absence of gender rather than a mixture.
Androgyne is a gender, androgynous is a look
The two words are close enough that they get swapped constantly, and the swap moves the claim from identity to appearance.
Someone can be androgyne and present in an entirely conventional way, and someone can look androgynous and have a binary gender. Neither tells you about the other.
Saying it well
Say this
- I am androgyne.
- Both, or somewhere between.
- Androgyne is my gender; androgynous is a haircut.
- Androgyne, which is an old word for this.
Not this
- So you dress androgynously
- That is just nonbinary
- So you are half and half
- You do not look androgyne
Questions people actually ask
What does androgyne mean?
Having a gender that is both masculine and feminine, or between the two.
Is androgyne the same as androgynous?
No. Androgyne is a gender identity; androgynous describes appearance.
Is androgyne an old term?
Yes, it was in use well before nonbinary became the general umbrella.